The Song of the Smoke | The Under-Appreciation of W.E.B. Du Bois's Poem
In the following
essay, the author argues that W. E. B. Du Bois’s poem “The
Song of the Smoke” is under-appreciated by readers
who ignore its artistic use of unclear language
and focus on its message but not its form.
Like the works of many pioneering African- American authors, W. E. B. Du Bois’s 1907 poem “The Song of the Smoke” is often recognized for its social message, but far too seldom is it given credit for its achievement as a work of art. The fact that art is often subject to individual impressions does not mean that it can be anything that any person wants to say it is: in its most basic sense, artistry can be defined by the way that the form of a piece is used to highlight its message. In the case of Du Bois, as with so many writers who raise social concerns, critics tend to spend...
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